External Evaluation Consultancy – Palestine Humanitarian Response Programme

EXTERNAL EVALUATION | TERMS OF REFERENCE

Palestine Humanitarian Response Programme

Comprehensive Gaza and West Bank Programme Review (October 2023 – present)

Issued by

Humanitarian Action Team, SOS Children’s Villages International

Reference

PAL-2026-EVAL

Date of issue

22 April 2026

Status

Open call for applications

Geographic focus

State of Palestine — Gaza and West Bank

Evaluation period covered

October 2023 – present (ongoing programme)

Assignment duration

June 2026 – Sep 2026

Application deadline

22 May 2026

1. Background and Context

SOS Children’s Villages Palestine (SOS CV Palestine), a member of the SOS Children’s Villages International (SOS CVI) Federation, has delivered child-focused programming in Palestine since 1968. Its multi-location presence combines alternative care, family strengthening, and community empowerment.

Following the escalation of the conflict in October 2023, SOS CV Palestine launched a large-scale Emergency Response Programme which has since become one of the largest humanitarian responses within the SOS CVI Federation. Between October 2023 and December 2025, programme expenditure exceeded EUR 7 million, with the overall budget approaching EUR 8 million through the end of 2026. By the end of 2025, the programme had reached over 72,000 participants and is projected to reach close to 100,000 participants by the end of 2026.

The response has encompassed a broad portfolio of interventions across Gaza including: multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA); temporary shelter support for internally displaced persons (IDPs); distribution of food parcels, supplementary food packages, and dignity kits; Education in Emergencies (EiE) and remedial classes; Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) through individual, group, and family counselling; recreational and psychosocial activities for children and caregivers care and protection services for unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) in dedicated shelters; health awareness-raising activities; and broader resilience-strengthening initiatives for vulnerable households.

These humanitarian interventions are complementary to the core mandate of SOS CV Palestine, which centres on alternative care for children who have lost, or are at risk of losing, parental care, alongside family strengthening and community empowerment.

SOS CV Palestine operates a dedicated Emergency Response Unit of approximately 50 staff, complemented by personnel deployed through community-based organisations (CBOs). The Unit supports humanitarian operations in Gaza with overall coordination provided by the National Office. A monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework is in place, supported by an M&E Advisor and an M&E Officer based in Gaza.

The programme is funded through a mix of SOS CVI Member Associations and institutional donors. Contributing Member Associations include SOS Children’s Villages Austria, Sweden, Norway, Tunisia, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, and Poland, together with Children’s Villages Worldwide (CVW). Institutional donors include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg, the Dutch Relief Alliance, UNICEF, and the Akelius Foundation, among others.

Programme operations are structured around the following sectors:

• Child Protection in Emergencies.
• Basic Needs delivered through Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA);
• Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS);
• Accommodation and Shelter Support.
• Education in Emergencies (EiE);
• Alternative Care and family empowerment for unaccompanied and separated children.

Due to the deteriorating security environment, no field visits to Gaza have been conducted by national or international teams during the implementation period, and visits to the West Bank have been limited. Coordination has been sustained through remote monitoring, regular narrative and financial reporting (monthly or quarterly, depending on the project), and routine review meetings. These constraints, combined with the scale, duration, and continued expansion of the response, make a comprehensive external evaluation both timely and necessary.

SOS Children’s Villages International is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit organisation operating in over 130 countries and territories, working to protect and care for children without parental care or at risk of losing it.

2. Purpose, Scope and Intended Use of the Evaluation

Overall Focus of the Evaluation

The overarching focus of this evaluation is to conduct a comprehensive, independent, and evidence-based review of the entire SOSCV Palestine Humanitarian Response Programme in Gaza and the West Bank — covering all past and ongoing emergency projects and related operations implemented since October 2023 — with the primary forward-looking objective of identifying and recommending the best strategic and operational options for scaling up of the humanitarian response in Gaza and the West Bank (emergency relief, recovery and stabilisation)

The evaluation is therefore expected to deliver two interdependent outputs: (i) a retrospective programme review capturing the full portfolio delivered since October 2023, identifying what worked, what did not, and why considering subsequent adjustments and the approved plans; and (ii) a forward-looking options analysis setting out concrete, prioritised, and risk-informed pathways for the expansion of the Gaza and West Bank humanitarian response.

2.1 Purpose

The purpose of the evaluation is to:

• Provide an objective, evidence-based assessment of the performance, impact, and processes of the Palestine Humanitarian Response Programme since October 2023, covering programmatic, operational, financial, and governance dimensions;
• Generate structured learning on the relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability of the response, with particular attention to the constraints of operating without sustained in-person field access;
• Identify, assess, and prioritise strategic and operational options for accelerated scaling up of the Gaza and West Bank response in a principled, sustainable, and risk-informed manner.

2.2 Intended Use

The findings and recommendations of the evaluation are intended to inform:

• Decision-making by SOS CV Palestine, contributing partners (PSAs), and SOS CVI at International Office (IO) level regarding programmatic adjustments, resource allocation, and governance of the Gaza response.
• The design of the next-generation humanitarian architecture that fits the evolving fragile context, including partnership and implementation modalities for scale-up in Gaza;
• Dialogue with institutional donors, the broader SOS CVI Federation, and external coordination platforms on the positioning and capacity of SOS CVI in Palestine;
• Updating of existing Humanitarian Appeals and related overall Gaza response plans facilitated by the Humanitarian Action Team (HAT) and IDS to be reflected on 2027 plans and onwards.

2.3 Scope of the Evaluation

#### Temporal scope

The evaluation shall cover the period from October 2023 to the date of data collection. It shall also include a forward-looking analysis covering the remainder of 2026 and the period immediately beyond, sufficient to inform scale-up decisions.

#### Geographic scope

The evaluation shall cover all areas of programme implementation in Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Gaza Strip is the primary geographic focus, with the West Bank included in scope to ensure a comprehensive assessment of the Palestine Humanitarian Response Programme, in line with the overall objective of informing accelerated scale-up.

#### Programmatic scope

The evaluation shall cover all emergency projects implemented under the Palestine Humanitarian Response Programme since October 2023, across all donor streams and all sectors listed in Section 1, together with the enabling operations that support them — including procurement, finance, M&E, human resources, safety and security, partnerships, coordination, and governance.

3. Evaluation Criteria and Key Lines of Enquiry

The evaluation will be guided by internationally recognised criteria, in particular the OECD-DAC criteria for evaluating humanitarian action (relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability, coverage, and connectedness), complemented by reference to ALNAP guidance (Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action), the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS), and relevant IASC quality standards (Inter-Agency Standing Committee). The methodology shall integrate remote key informant interviews, desk review, and field visits, with clear triangulation across sources.

The evaluator shall develop a full evaluation matrix in the Inception Report. The following areas are considered priority lines of enquiry.

3.1 Programmatic Performance and Quality

• The extent to which Child Protection interventions are delivered in line with the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action;
• Whether safeguarding, Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), and feedback and complaints mechanisms are functional and aligned with sector standards;
• The clarity, transparency, and consistency of participant selection and targeting, including the effectiveness of communication with affected populations;
• The coherence of the M&E system across projects, the harmonisation of tools, the quality of data generated, and the extent to which findings inform decision-making;
• The likelihood of achieving stated objectives and outcomes;
• The adequacy of capacity, roles, responsibilities, and resources to deliver quality programming across sectors including operational and programmatic cost efficiency.
• The quality of remote and in-person monitoring, adaptive management, and progress reporting;
• The design, delivery, and impact of capacity-building initiatives, and their relevance to the needs of the Member Association;
• The quality and value of SOS CV Palestine’s participation in cluster coordination platforms, and its effectiveness in representing SOS CVI.

3.2 Strategic Options for Scale-Up in Gaza and the West Bank

• Opportunities, risks, and feasibility of scaling up key interventions in Gaza and the West Bank, including implementation through partners, consortia, and localised delivery models;
• Operational, financial, human resource, and governance prerequisites for accelerated scale-up, including security management;
• Critical assumptions, constraints, and mitigation measures associated with each scale-up option identified;
• Sequencing, costing, and expected results of recommended scale-up pathways.
• 2 -3 scenarios that can lead to concrete humanitarian operational scale up plans and delivery modalities building on the existing program and capacity.
• Gaza program governance: decision making and accountability across MA (PAL NO-Gaza team)- CVI, - PSAs, clarity of the operating structure needed.

3.3 Procurement and Operations

• The effectiveness of collaboration with implementing partners, and its alignment with harmonised approaches, local legislation, internal SOPs, and efforts to avoid duplication;
• The compliance, appropriateness, and participant acceptance of Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) interventions relative to sector standards and SOPs;
• The efficiency of resource coordination across programme components and donor streams;
• Compliance of financial and procurement practices with internal and external standards — including approvals, CBO selection and due diligence, timeliness and accuracy of accounting for fixed assets, running costs, services, and personnel salaries, allocation to the correct accounts and projects, the currency of inventory lists, and the availability of supporting documentation;
• The status of markets, inputs, and cash flows, as well as access to critical services and humanitarian supply chain arrangements in Gaza, including benchmarking against other humanitarian actors.

4. Methodology and Approach

The evaluation shall adopt a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques, delivered through a hybrid model that pairs remote desk review with in-person data collection in Gaza and the West Bank, as access permits. The final methodology shall be defined in the Inception Report and validated by the Humanitarian Action Team (HAT).

At a minimum, the methodology shall include:

• A comprehensive desk review of project documentation (qualitative and quantitative), SOS CVI strategies, and relevant policies;
• A review of sector-specific standards, tools, and standard operating procedures (SOPs), including those issued by the Child Protection Working Group (CPWG), the Cash Working Group (CWG), the Education Cluster, and the Health Cluster;
• Participatory methods — including Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and interviews — to capture the perspectives of specific groups such as caregivers and persons with disabilities (PwDs), complementing household surveys where those groups may be underrepresented;
• Structured or semi-structured Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with local authorities, humanitarian actors, cluster and coordination representatives, and SOS CVI national and international staff;
• A field validation exercise to verify preliminary findings with stakeholders during the field phase;
• Spot checks of selected high-value procurement transactions to assess compliance, transparency, and value for money.

All data shall be disaggregated by sex and, where possible, by age and vulnerability status. The evaluation shall adopt a gender-responsive approach, ensuring that the different needs of women, men, girls, boys, and vulnerable groups are reflected throughout. Quantitative analysis shall apply appropriate statistical measures (e.g. mean, median, frequency distributions) to identify trends and correlations; qualitative data shall be analysed using content analysis or comparable approaches. Data collection tools shall be pre-tested and available in both Arabic and English.

The evaluation must adhere to the highest ethical and professional standards, ensuring transparency, objectivity, and accountability throughout. The rights, dignity, and safety of all participants must be respected at all times; confidentiality must be guaranteed; and no respondent shall be exposed to risk or harm as a result of their participation. All activities shall be conducted in a manner that fosters a safe and inclusive environment in which participants feel comfortable sharing their perspectives.

5. Expected Deliverables

5.1 Deliverable 1 — Inception Report & Contextual Analysis

The Inception Report shall set out the proposed methodology for the evaluation, any adjustments made following initial scoping, and any key issues relevant to its implementation. It shall be submitted in English and shall include:

• Programme overview — a comprehensive, structured, and evidence-based analysis of the operational, managerial, and programmatic dimensions of the humanitarian portfolio, drawing on primary and secondary data;
• Portfolio mapping and analysis — a detailed and systematic overview of all humanitarian projects implemented in Palestine during the evaluation period, including activities, funding flows, financial flows for selected projects, staffing structures, SOPs, FTEs, reporting arrangements, expenditures, and systems and tools in use;
• Procurement review and spot-check methodology — a clearly defined methodology for reviewing procurement processes, including spot checks of high-value goods and services, to assess compliance with internal policies, transparency, and value for money;
• Data collection feasibility and access constraints — an assessment of logistical arrangements, access limitations, and permit requirements for data collection in Gaza and the West Bank and their implications for scope, methodology, and reliability of findings;
• Conceptual framework — a clear description of the framework guiding the evaluation;
• Evaluation matrix and methodology — a detailed matrix outlining evaluation questions, data collection methods, data sources, sampling strategies, and selection criteria;
• Data collection tools — all proposed instruments, in both Arabic and English;
• Work plan — a detailed plan outlining phases, timelines, and milestones;
• Stakeholder mapping — a list of key stakeholders to be consulted during the evaluation.
• A comprehensive report documenting timely and periodic changes and key milestones in the country context, including political and economic developments, supply chain dynamics and commodity availability, movement restrictions, transitions of service facilities between camps, changes in location management in Gaza, evacuation processes, and prevailing social norms and community culture, particularly in relation to PSEA and Child Safeguarding (CS) concepts. The report should establish clear rationale, benchmarks, and assumptions to serve as a reference point for subsequently measuring compliance and assessing achievements in light of the prevailing context and associated challenges.

The Inception Report shall be finalised in consultation with HAT.

5.2 Deliverable 2 — Draft Evaluation Report

The Draft Evaluation Report (maximum 30 pages in English shall include an executive summary, key findings, conclusions, recommendations, and all relevant supporting data.

All data collection tools and raw datasets generated during the evaluation shall be submitted to SOS CVI together with the Draft Evaluation Report and shall remain the intellectual property of SOS CVI.

The Draft Report shall be prepared following the completion of the desk review, field data collection, and informal feedback discussions with relevant SOS CVI stakeholders. It shall be presented and discussed during an evaluation stakeholders’ workshop organised by HAT. The evaluator is expected to present and facilitate a discussion of the key findings through an online presentation to HAT.

5.3 Deliverable 3 — Final Evaluation Report

The Final Evaluation Report (maximum 30 pages in English, excluding the executive summary and annexes) shall be structured as follows:

• Cover page; List of acronyms and abbreviations; Table of contents;
• Executive summary (including key findings and recommendations);
• Scope and objectives of the evaluation;
• Methodology; Limitations;
• Portfolio mapping and programme overview;
• End-to-end funding structure analysis and cost efficiency of the interventions
• Detailed findings and results (including good practices and illustrative examples) that highlights:
• 2 -3 scenarios that can lead to concrete humanitarian operational scale up plans and delivery modalities building on the existing program and capacity.
• Gaza program governance: decision making and accountability across MA (PAL ND-Gaza team)- CVI, - PSAs, clarity of the operating structure needed.
• Conclusions and recommendations.

Appendices shall include:

• Terms of Reference and Evaluation matrix.
• List of documents and stakeholders consulted and data collection tools
• A webinar presenting the main findings of the evaluation shall be delivered to HAT and SOS CV Palestine. A Management Response Plan shall be prepared by HAT within one month of finalisation of the evaluation, specifying key actions, responsible partners, and implementation timelines.

6. Evaluation Timeline

Indicative deliverable schedule May- September 2026, starting day after contracting (subject to adjustment based on the inception report):

Deliverable

Estimated Working Time

Deliverable 1 — Inception Report& Contextual Analysis

10 days

Deliverable 2 — Draft Evaluation Report (including field data collection)

20 days

Deliverable 3 — Final Evaluation Report (including validation virtual workshop)

15 days

7. Evaluation Team Profile and Selection Criteria

7.1 Mandatory Competencies and Experience

• Advanced university degree (or equivalent) in Humanitarian or Development Studies, Social Sciences, Statistics, or a related field;
• Minimum of five (5) years of proven experience in conducting evaluations of complex humanitarian and development programmes;
• At least five (5) years of experience evaluating humanitarian programmes with substantial Protection components;
• Fluency in both English and Arabic;
• Demonstrated expertise in data collection methodologies, including the use of IT-enabled systems, and strong analytical and report-writing skills;
• Solid technical understanding of humanitarian programming;
• Strong knowledge of outcome evaluation approaches, particularly participatory and mixed-methods designs;
• Solid understanding of operations management and compliance requirements
• Good understanding of PSEA, safeguarding, gender, and equity principles;
• Familiarity with protection mainstreaming principles;
• Proven track record of conducting evaluations in humanitarian settings.

7.2 Desirable Competencies and Experience

• Experience in managing complex humanitarian programmes in highly volatile environments, particularly in the child protection sector;
• Prior programmatic or evaluative experience with child-focused organisations;
• Sectoral experience in Protection, Food Security, Shelter, Nutrition, Health, and Education, including thematic expertise in Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), Temporary Learning Spaces (TLS), and shelter programming;
• Experience monitoring implementing partners;
• Experience working with the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS).
• Experience in strategic planning, risk management and scenario analysis.

7.3 Evaluation team

The proposed team shall be composed to ensure comprehensive coverage of all aspects outlined in these Terms of Reference, including cross-cutting themes, and clear team management. Gender balance within the team will be considered an asset.

8. Management and Oversight

The evaluation shall be commissioned and managed by the Humanitarian Action Team (HAT) at the SOS CVI IDS, in close coordination with SOS CV Palestine and the contributing Promoting and Supporting Associations (PSAs). HAT shall act as the evaluator’s primary point of contact for inception, review, and validation of all deliverables.

9. Submission of Applications

9.1 Application Contents

• A technical proposal outlining the evaluation framework, methodology, proposed timeline, and work plan (maximum three (3) pages; longer submissions will not be considered);
• A proposed evaluation budget with clear breakdown in EUR.
• Curricula vitae (CVs) of proposed team members;
• A description of logistical arrangements, including visa and permit requirements for field data collection in Gaza and the West Bank;
• All required supporting documents.
• Evidence of previous similar assignments (Reference letters, published reports, or any applicable documents)

9.2 Key Dates

• Closing date for applications: 22 May 2026
• Awarding Date: 01 June 2026
• End of the assignment: 15 Sep 2026

9.3 Submission Channel

Complete applications, together with any requests for clarification, shall be submitted by email to: Dzintra.Jones@sos-kd.org

Only applications received by the closing date and containing all required elements will be considered. SOS CVI reserves the right to request clarifications, invite shortlisted applicants to interview, and decline to award the assignment.